The Difference Between Poison and Medicine
by Disera
Summary: The Winchester's reunite with an old friend as they gather talent to stop the impending apocalypse. What they don't know is that Eloise is harboring a secret bound to make matters more complicated. On the brink of death she was compelled to sell her soul to Crowley. Now, with archangels and Lucifer stalking around, he feels the urge to protect his investment.
1. Chapter 1

Eloise stood behind the counter, elbow propped up on the edge as she stared out at a wall of nail polish, not really seeing it. As usual, there was nothing left for her to do. Given the few tasks she was she had finished them in two hours, leaving six more of absolutely nothing lest a customer have a stupid question. Like, how can I bleach my hair without bleach? You fucking don't. That's how.

The door chimed and Eloise shifted back to reality. Her eyes felt tired and her smile was tight and insincere. That was until she caught the faces of the two men walking in.

"What are you doing here?" She asked excitedly, her whole face suddenly lighting up. If she'd had a tail it would have been wagging.

"What, no hello?" Dean held his arms out and she ran around the counter, jumping up to lock her arms around his neck. They both laughed, Eloise nearly crying she was so surprised.

Eloise, growing up a hunter, had plenty of run-ins with the Winchesters. Her father and theirs had worked together on cases when they were kids and they often got dumped at Bobby's when cases were deemed too dangerous for their innocent little souls. She hadn't seen them since helping on a few cases when John went missing.

She jumped away from Dean, crossing the short distance to Sam and hugging him around the waist since she couldn't reach his neck.

"Oh, I missed you guys," She groaned into Sam's chest, hugging him so hard it was a wonder he could even breathe.

"We missed you too," Sam said tightly as he patted her back. She pulled away and stepped back to admire her boys.

"So what are you doing working in a candy ass place like this anyway? I feel like a girl just being in here," Dean glared around and fixed his jacket uncomfortably.

"Relax, we have clippers," Eloise said, motioning behind her to the wall of overpriced electricals. "Do you need to hold something sharp? 'Cause I can get you something sharp," She teased, enjoying the look of discomfort he wore.

"No," He grumbled, though he didn't look or sound so sure.

"Really though, what are you doing here? I mean, are you out?" Sam asked, almost looking concerned.

"No, no," Eloise smiled and shook her head. "But you know what they say, Sam. Hunting doesn't pay the bills," He made a look of agreement.

"Hello!" Eloise's smile fell at the sound of her manager's voice as the short little lard ball of a woman waddled to the front of the store. She was wearing the biggest fake smile she'd ever seen and sounded way too happy for someone who hated her job.

The boys said hi, Sam more sincerely than Dean, and Eloise certainly didn't blame Dean.

"Can I help you with anything?" She asked Dean, who was examining a long pair of shears.

"Me?" Dean seemed caught off guard and gestured to himself with the scissors. "No, no, I'm just…" He clipped the scissors together dramatically and smiled.

"Ellie!" He exclaimed suddenly, as if seeing her for the first time. "Come here, let's have a chat," He walked to her quickly, slinging an arm over her shoulder and steering her away. Once they had made it a short distance away he looked at her and faked gagging. Eloise widened her eyes and nodded in agreement. He didn't know the half of it.

"So, what are you guys doing here? There isn't a case in town is there?" She assumed if there was something nearby she should have known about it. She kept a pretty close watch on the area and so far nothing had ever cropped up.

"No," He sighed, taking on a more serious expression. "So, ya know the whole apocalypse thing we've been dealing with?" Eloise sighed heavily, knowing this wasn't going anywhere good. She knew everything they'd told her and everything she'd researched for them. She was a pro at finding things people tried to keep hidden.

"We tried to keep you out of the action, but after Jo and Ellen," He trailed off.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, you want me to come with you and help save the world," Eloise stated rather than asking.

Dean barked a humorless laugh. "Yeah," They stopped and Eloise freed herself from his grip. They stood there for a moment in silence, Eloise's arms crossed, Dean watching her expectantly.

"Race you to the car!" She shouted suddenly before bolting to the other end of the store, tearing past Sam, and barreling out the door so fast it didn't even have time to chime. She slid across the hood of the Impala and looked over her shoulder to see Dean now running after her just as fast, Sam hot on his heels.

"You better not hurt Baby!" He shouted after her. Her feet touched the ground and she laughed, doing everything she could not to stumble into another, much less durable car.

"Don't worry. She's okay," She assured him, patting the car gently. He gave her a threatening look before opening the car door for her. She bowed dramatically before sliding into the back seat.

On the way to Souix Falls they caught each other up. Eloise didn't have much to say. She'd been working a shitty job for a while and hadn't worked a case in a month. She tended not to go looking for them, but was more than willing to help anyone who called. Sam and Dean updated her on archangel business and the thrills of going back in time to save their mother.

Eloise fell asleep peacefully in the back of the Impala, only to be woken hours later by a burning pain in her shoulder. She woke up with her palm pressed firmly to the source of her pain, sitting up abruptly and startling Sam and Dean.

"Elle, what's going on?" Sam asked.

"There's something wrong," Her hand slipped under her shirt, fingers brushing over the raised skin of her dirty little secret.

Eloise traced the intricate brand of the letter "C" on the front of her shoulder. She had never told anyone the full story of her unfortunate run in with a horde of demons. Only one other person knew the truth. She had gotten herself wrapped up in some business at a crossroads. Red eyed bastards were showing up and coning people into selling their souls. She had tried to handle it by herself, but, in the end, found herself bleeding to death at a crossroads. One might say her knight in shining armor wasn't quite what she expected and the deal she'd made there wasn't exactly water tight. However, she _had_ been left with this lovely little brand that told her when she was in the proximity of her...holder.

"What is it?" Dean asked, glancing at her through the rear view mirror.

"Ah, shit," She shook her head, rubbing her shoulder as if that would actually help. "Just get to Bobby's. Something tells me that's where the _problem_ is," Dean stepped on the gas and Eloise closed her eyes, dreading the shit storm that was coming her way.

It only took about half an hour to reach Bobby's with Dean's driving. By the time they pulled up to the house Eloise was gritting her teeth and ready to run, knowing there were only two ways to end the pain. She could run towards him or she could run away from him. And running away wasn't an option this time.

"Guy's," She said once the car was parked. Both boys looked back at her, concern in their eyes. "I'm just gonna go ahead and say I'm sorry," And with that she stepped out of the car, stumbling through Bobby's messy yard. Sam caught up and opened the door for Eloise before she could reach it. She couldn't look him in the eyes, simply shuffled past and into the living room, her heart in her throat.

Eloise rounded the corner, knowing to some extent what she would see. There was Bobby, sitting behind his desk, and Castiel, who she had nearly forgotten about, sitting nearby, looking rigid.

"Well, it's about time you showed up," Crowley sauntered to the center of the room, one hand holding a tumbler, the other settled in his pocket. Everyone was confused and Eloise wanted to curl up and die.

"Make it stop, Crowley," She hissed through her teeth, sounding threatening and having nothing to threaten him with. He flashed a toothy grin and walked slowly towards her. One agonizingly slow step after another.

"What do we say, dear?" He stopped a few feet away, looking at her expectantly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Crowley!" She moaned from the pain, doubling over for a second before forcing herself to straighten back up. The pain was crawling down her arm and up her neck, into her head where it felt like it was slowly crushing her skull.

Crowley chucked and took a sip from his glass. "Not quite what I was looking for, love. I must say though, I _am_ flattered," He took one more small step forward, only further increasing Eloise's agony. Her yelp brought Bobby's fists down on his desk

"What are you doing to her?" Bobby demanded.

"Don't get your knickers in a bunch. She's done this to herself," He never broke eye contact with Eloise. "Haven't you, love?" She whimpered.

"What do you want me to say, Crowley? Please? Is that it? Is that your magic word?" He looked around, making eye contact with everyone else in the room.

"Does that sound like me?" He asked no one in particular.

Teasingly, he took one more step forward. It was all Eloise could do to keep from collapsing. Sam stepped forward to catch her, but was frozen mid stride.

"Ah-ah Moose. Your friend here needs to handle her own problem," Eloise swallowed thickly, her eyes feeling like they were about to burst out of her head.

"Please," She breathed, doing her best to focus her now splotchy vision on Crowley. "What do you want me to do," At this point she was ready to drop to her knees and beg. Getting him to save her life while she was bleeding out was less strenuous than this.

"Come on now, you know what I like," He was right in front of her now, looking down at her with a sly smirk. He was close enough to touch had she been able to move properly.

Eloise took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the pain and the longing for it to end consume her. She gave in, which was much easier when she wasn't aware of her family's eyes on her.

"Crowley," She looked up at him, suddenly glad he was so close. He eclipsed everything else. "Please, just make it stop," She sounded broken, which she knew was exactly what he wanted. His smile grew and he tipped up her chin.

"Make what stop?" She squeaked, eyes filing with tears.

 _Why? Why are you doing this to me? In front of my family, my friends? Why do you make me beg?_

"The pain, Crowley," At first, she couldn't keep the resentment out of her voice, but she knew the only way to end it was to fully appreciate that he was the only thing that could end her torment. "Please, make the pain go away," He tilted his head.

"Good enough for now, I suppose," He released her chin and tugged down her shirt sleeve, slowly rubbing his thumb across the brand; _his_ brand.

Sam stumbled, free from his entrapment, and Crowley took a step back. Eloise gasped at the sudden alleviation of her pain, blinking hard and taking deep breaths as to not lose consciousness.

"What the hell is going on?" Bobby shouted. Sam caught his balance and grabbed Eloise, but she pulled away from him.

"I believe it's story time," Crowley announced, looking all too pleased with himself.

"Then do me a favor and pull up a chair," Eloise said boldly, realizing the second the words left her mouth she was going to regret them.

Without a word, Crowley crossed the room, grabbed a wooden chair, and set it down next to Eloise. As soon as she moved to sit in it he beat her too it and then pulled her down onto his lap. His arm curled tightly around her waist and she looked away shamefully. Unfortunately, there was really nowhere to look that someone wasn't staring at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"Well?" Bobby prompted.

"I was dying-"

"So you sold your soul to Crowley?" Dean shouted.

"I didn't want to _die_ , Dean. I know. I've committed blasphemy," The words all came out in a heated rush. Crowley sipped his drink, enjoying the scene before him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Elle, how did this happen?" Sam asked, somehow managing to keep his head while everyone else, including the angel, were clearly losing it.

"Remember the whole crossroads demon thing? It was about a year ago and I was wrong. I didn't have it," She sighed, rubbing the last bit of blur and pain from her eyes. "There were so many of them all at once and, I don't know if you've noticed, but killing demon's isn't easy. I don't really know what happened, honestly. All I know is suddenly I was on the ground at a crossroads and this," She looked over her shoulder at Crowley, who was telling her with his eyes to chose her words carefully.

"This... _man_ is standing over me. I couldn't see anything but him. It was like everyone else was gone, but I was far from out of the woods," Crowley cut in.

"Very true. Blood everywhere, guts falling out, bones piercing flesh. Truly a horrid mess," Eloise wanted to tell him no one was interested in his input.

"Right, so, I was fucked and Crowley proposed a deal. He knew I had connections to you," She nodded at Sam and Dean. "He thought that could be useful and I didn't want to die. He told me that I could keep my soul until the day he wasn't around to save me as long as I was willing to come when he called, do what he asked...play his games. So, I figured living in a demons back pocket was better than being dead at a crossroads," As expected, the room wasn't silent for long.

"What is that?" Castiel pointed vaguely at Eloise, but they all knew what he was referring to.

"This," Crowley moved her sleeve aside, holding it down to reveal the raised, pink skin. "Is my mark. I only give them away to my most special victims as a way of...marking my property. It has many purposes. Other demon's can sense it and know to stay away. _I_ could find her anywhere; Earth, Hell, Heaven. And, as you saw, it gives her a lovely little warning when her master is nearby,"

"So, let me get this straight," Dean spoke up. "You sold your soul to Crowley and there's no ten year collection fee. You're good as gold until you die, except you have to be his bitch," Eloise had to admit that was pretty much the gist of it.

"Basically," Crowley answered for Eloise.

"Ellie, how could you let this happen?" Bobby asked, exasperated.

"Hi everyone! My name is Eloise. I sold my soul to the King of the Crossroads and now I'm his bitch for the rest of eternity. So, about this apocalypse," Eloise spat sarcastically, hoping to move on to the actual task at hand. Or anything else, really.

"That's my girl. Straight to business," Crowley settled himself further into the chair, pushing his hips forward and forcing Eloise to lean back against him. Electricity shot up her spine and she could feel her face heat up. She knew better than to resist him. He had a way of making things worse.

"Please," Eloise covered her face. "Please, can we just talk about the end of the world? In fact, do you think we could speed things up? Oblivion sounds pretty good right now," She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so embarrassed. There probably wasn't a worse time, actually. She'd never done anything so...awful.

"Come on, I'm not so bad, am I? You wouldn't _really_ choose death over me. We've already established that," It was to the point where Eloise wanted to puke. There truly was no escape.

"Why are you still here?" Bobby asked, eyes narrowed on Crowley.

"We're to discuss plans, yes? I'm assuming you haven't cuddled up to any other demon King's lately," Crowley raised an eyebrow, still clearly full of himself and reveling in the power he had to destroy every life in the room.

"You heard the woman. Let's talk fire and brimstone," Everyone seemed to realize then that the conversation was over, whether they liked it or not. Castiel started up about the horsemen and everyone else listened, following suit. Eloise tried to pay attention, but somehow the end of the world seemed less unfortunate than the fact she was sitting on a demon's lap.

"Have a drink, love," Crowley held the tumbler out to her. "Loosen up," Eloise figured if she was stuck there she might as well. She took the glass and knocked it back, draining it's entire, fiery contents straight down her throat.


	5. Chapter 5

"My, aren't we thirsty," He snapped his fingers and the tumbler filled again. Eloise took a moment to recover before nursing her fresh drink.

As it typically did, the alcohol calmed Eloise. She was able to accept Crowley's close proximity and some of her typical wit began to filter back in. By the end of their long chat she was drowsy and unsure of how much she'd drank. She was definitely drunk, that was sure, but she hadn't passed GO.

Eloise waved her glass in Crowley's direction and he took it, well aware by that point that another drink would only ruin the fun. Bobby was watching them both, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Sam was mostly focused on Eloise as she became more and more inebriated and Crowley's suddenly curious fingers that were teasing the hem of her shirt. Dean and Castiel were significantly more focused on the impending doom of the human race.

"Do this often?" Bobby piped up, drawing everyone's attention.

"No, never actually. He just enjoys humiliating me in front of people who's opinion's I care about. So, this is a first," Eloise smiled bitterly.

"While that was my intention I'm rather enjoying the friendly contact," Eloise could feel that everyone wanted to speak at once, but Bobby was the fastest.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," He wheeled himself out from behind the desk. "I'm going to sleep," Eloise turned to watch him go over Crowley's shoulder, resting her head there as she found she was no longer able to hold it up.

"I'm sorry, Bobby. I love you," She called after him, receiving no response. She hadn't expected one.

"You've gotta stop this," Dean said as Eloise righted herself. "He's gonna have a damn heart attack. It's bad enough you sold your soul, and to Crowley of all people, and now you're cuddling up with him like you're his damn pet?" Eloise suddenly wished she had another glass of scotch.

" _Damned_ pet, actually," Crowley suggested.

Eloise shrugged. "What's done is done," In her drunken stupor it was easy to shrug it all off.

"And you're just gonna let this happen? He's got your soul, sure, but you don't have to bow down to him like he owns you," It was clear that this was something Dean would never let go, which was to be expected.

"Oh, but I do. I thought we'd been over this," Crowley said.

"Why are you still here?" Dean demanded, standing up.

"Well then," Crowley nudged Eloise to her feet and stabilized her once he too was standing. "I see I've overstayed my welcome," He didn't seem offended or agitated. He wasn't leaving because they wanted him to, he was leaving because _he_ wanted to.

"Goodnight, love. See you soon," With a kiss on the cheek and a wink Crowley was gone. The tension in the room, however, remained.

Eloise plopped down on the couch between Castiel and Sam, leaving Dean to glower at her like a disappointed father.

"Are you happy?" He asked, raising his arms.

"No, not really. I am drunk though, which helps," She lulled her head back against the couch and closed her eyes for a brief moment. The room spun around her in the darkness.

"You smell like sulfur," Sam commented.

"Yeah, well...wonder why," Eloise grumbled. Her head lulled towards him.

"Lets get you to bed," Sam stood and held his hands out for Eloise to take. He hoisted her to her feet and, very carefully, the two made their way upstairs. Sam pushed open the door to a guest room and dumped Eloise on the bed. She remained sitting upright, trying to clear her head and sober up a bit. Sam came back a few moments later with a glass of water.

"Thanks," She took the glass and sipped at the cool liquid. Sam sat next to her, looking at his hands, trying to think of something to say.


	6. Chapter 6

"So, you and Crowley, huh?" Eloise sputtered out a laugh.

"There is no _me and Crowley_. Look, I get it Sam. What I did was really stupid and giving in to him is probably an even worse idea. But, ya know what?," She turned slightly to look at him. "It's easy. I'm allowed to be afraid and vulnerable. Hell, I can cry if I want to; beg. He's a demon. He eats up every ounce of misery so it's all gone by the time I face the people who expect me to be strong," Sam gave her a thoughtful look.

"So, this has happened before. Like, with the..." He gestured to his shoulder and she nodded.

"Yeah, a few times. It usually lasts longer though. Days," She took a deeper drink of her water.

" _Days?_ He does that to you for days?"

"No, not that specifically. Just good ol' torture, ya know? Nothing that leaves a mark of course. He apparently only felt the need to leave one of those," She didn't realize as she spoke that she was rubbing the mark on her shoulder.

"So does that happen every time?" Again, Sam eyed her shoulder.

"Yeah, but it's easier to give in when everyone I care about isn't looking at me," She tried not to think about it. About how much worse it was when people _weren't_ around. She'd said a lot of things she wasn't proud of.

The two were silent for a moment. Sam took it all in and Eloise sipped her water, feeling sleepier by the second.

"I'm sorry, Sam. Really. The pain that he makes me feel, that he taunts me with? It's nothing compared to the pain of disappointing everyone. I know Bobby and Dean and Cas are going to hold this against me, but-

"I'm not asking you to be on my side. I just want _one_ person to look at me and not see...Crowley's bitch," Despite the seriousness, Eloise found herself smiling by the end of it. She started laughing. She couldn't stop herself.

"Ah, man. Who'da thought, huh? God, I'm drunk. Good call on his part, honestly," Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. She was relieved to see a smile on his face too.

"Dean and Bobby will come around. And don't worry about Cas," Sam assured her.

The two said goodnight and Eloise made herself comfortable. The scent of Bobby's house was familiar and comforting, but under it was Crowley. Sulfur. Cologne. Scotch. So, instead of falling into a deep, dreamless slumber, she was plagued by pain and tension.

Eloise awoke early in the morning, clutching her shoulder and then her head as the aching registered. She looked for a clock. 7 AM. She sighed and sat up, causing her head to spin and her stomach to churn. She took a moment to compose herself before getting out of bed. She found a change of clothes and a towel in her little bathroom. After getting washed up she felt like a new woman.

She entered the kitchen feeling far too good for someone who went to bed drunk.

"Good morning!" She greeted, stretching her arms over her head.

"Good morning, girl-with-the-Crowley-tattoo," Dean greeted bitterly, looking at her from over his cup of coffee.

"Yeah," She mumbled and poured herself a cup.

"I just don't get it, Ellie," Dean shook his head and leaned against the counter.

"Which part? I feel like the 'hey I don't want to die' part was pretty clear," Eloise blew on her drink and leaned next to Dean.

"Yeah," He grunted and shook his head. "I guess I just don't get why you let him play with you like that. I mean, the begging and, for god's sake Elle, he got you drunk and eye fucked you for half the night," Eloise groaned and pushed off the counter.

"Don't. Please don't go there," She squeezed her eyes shut as if closing them was going to make it less likely for her to picture it.

"Oh, I'm goin' there. I mean, you haven't actually..." Eloise made a sharp disbelieving sound and set down her coffee before she dropped it.


	7. Chapter 7

"No! Do you realize how often I've even seen him since the crossroads?" She exclaimed, feeling like she needed to scrub her insides clean.

"No, Elle, I don't. I didn't even know about this until last night. Remember?" It was probably only a matter of time before their bickering woke someone else up.

"Like four times including last night...as far as extended visits go,"

"Oh, oh, _extended_ visits,"

"Yeah, sometimes he checks in," She shook her head. "So, he's locked me up in a dark room and caused me nothing but excruciating pain for a few days. It's not sex, but I'm sure he gets off on it. But that's not the point! I'm still my own person, Dean," Eloise seated herself at the kitchen table and took another sip of her drink.

"That sure isn't what it looked like," Trying to convince him he was wrong would be futile.

"Okay, Dean. Say I'm Crowley's bitch in every way. I sleep at the foot of his bed and he walks me around Hell on a leash. Are you really going to abandon me over that?" He didn't answer, just shook his head left the room.

Bobby made his way in next. Eloise greeted him, watching him hopefully, but he never did look her in the yes. Her knuckles tapped against the table in the silence before she'd had enough. She pushed away from the table, her chair scraping noisily against the floor. She left out the front door, abandoning her coffee. Once outside, she settled down on the porch swing.

It was a nice day as far as weather went. It was probably seventy degrees, maybe a little warmer, and a gentle breeze wafted by. She watched the grass sway between scrapped cars and the gray clouds drift by. Eloise crossed her legs up onto the bench. For a moment everything was calm. Tranquil even.

A bone shattering pain and a weight next to her announced Crowley's presence. Luckily though, he was generous enough to stem to pain immediately.

"Good, you're alone," Eloise's jaw tightened and her tongue slid across her teeth.

"What do you want?" She asked, sounding irritated, but feeling just a bit relieved. Being in the presence of someone who could speak to her without yelling was nice. The problem was that person was Crowley.

"Now, is that any way to speak to your master?" Eloise rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, yes master. Whatever could have prompted you to grace me with your presence this fine morning?"

"You could try being more sincere," Eloise slung her arm over the back of the bench and propped her head up in her hand, trying to relocate the feeling of peace she's experienced less than a minute earlier.

"It's come to my attention that now that you're involved I'm in significantly more danger of losing my investment. What with the archangels and Lucifer running amok," Eloise gave him a sideways glance.

"So, what?" She asked, suddenly curious. She had a feeling she knew where he was going with this. Eloise was his property more so than the other souls he had claim over. The little gift he gave her was truly a rare one from what he'd told her. The only one he'd given out in nearly a century. If he had thought to invest in a secret weapon against the Winchesters other, more powerful entities, were bound to get the same idea.

"I'll be keeping a closer watch until I can find a way to ward you against them," He rubbed his chin, looking thoughtfully out at the horizon.

"I'd appreciate it if you could play nice then. Maybe not grope me in front of everyone," Eloise knew there was no chance she was going to convince him to leave, so she figured she could at least try to lessen the pain.

"Who was groping?" The two shared a look, his expression sly, while Eloise was simply irritated. He winked and drew his arm around her, pulling her against his side. She sighed, arms falling limply to her lap as she allowed her head to fall back against his arm. She stared up at the weathered roof, begging some higher power to at least explain to her why she was there.


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't understand you," She said, shaking her head slowly, eyes following a spider.

Last night she understood. He showed everyone she knew just how broken she was, whipped her into submission, and asserted himself as the alpha. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure his motives. It was simple psychology. Now though? Why continue to touch her? To hold her close? She wasn't even squirming. Not on the outside at least. She'd accepted it almost immediately.

For a long time the two remained in that position. Crowley's arm around Eloise's shoulders, her head leaning all too comfortably against him. Between the steady rocking of the swing and the crisp, open air it was a wonder she didn't fall asleep.

"Elle," Dean's voice brought Eloise back to reality. She was suddenly very aware of the situation she was in and just how compromising it was. She could feel Crowley all over he body.

Dean stopped in the doorway, staring at the too with a sharp glare as Eloise attempted to distance herself from Crowley. Or at least try to look less willing to receive his touch.

"We've got research to do," Dean said finally before ducking back into the house. With a defeated sigh, Eloise got to her feet. Crowley made no move to stop her, just watched as she made her way back into the house.

Since Bobby couldn't be bothered to look at her, she and Sam were shipped out to the library. And, of course, Crowley insisted on going with them. He and Sam bickered about trivial things for the duration of the twenty minute drive. Eloise tried to block it out, but couldn't help hanging on every word that came out of Crowley's mouth. It was like she didn't have a choice but to listen.

Upon entering the library Eloise seemed to float away from the boys. Whatever hold Crowley had on her was nothing in comparison to the draw books had. As if she could smell them Eloise managed to find her way to a tall shelf of dusty old books. She stood before them, attentive eyes scanning their worn spines. Sam sidling up next to her broke the spell the books had cast over her.

A few hours into peaceful reading the silence was broken by Eloise's phone ringing.

"Hello," She greeted Dean cheerfully, forgetting for a sweet moment that he was ready to locking her in a room and throw away the key.

"Is Crowley with you?" He asked, getting straight to his point.

"Yeah," Eloise tried not to look at him. He didn't need to know they were talking about him. His head was big enough.

"Why? You said you'd seen him a handful of times and now he's following you around like a lost puppy?" Eloise stood halfway through his complaint and put a few shelves distance between herself and the boys.

"He's trying to make sure I don't get snatched up by angels or Lucifer," She said quietly, one arm braced around her middle for comfort.

"I think we can handle that just fine without him," Dean insisted.

"We don't know that. We're barely hanging on, ya know. This doesn't have to be a bad thing. I'm more useful to him alive than dead, which means he's perfectly willing to save my ass in case of emergency. Which, by the way, is a very likely scenario," Eloise reminded him, hoping he could see some kind of logic.

"I don't like this," That much was obvious.

"You think I do?"

"Kind of looks like it, Elle,"

"Jesus, Dean," She sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Look, we'll talk about this when we get back. I'll tell you what I told Sam and if that's not good enough there's nothing more I can say," Though she strongly doubted Dean's ability to understand the relief she feels in being forced into submission she was willing to try and make him see her side of things.

"Fine. I'll see you later," He hung up before she could say anything else.


	9. Chapter 9

"Trouble in paradise?" Eloise jumped at the sound of Crowley's voice. Given her fancy little warning system it wasn't often he got the chance to sneak up on her.

"Yeah, sure," She grumbled as she slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans.

"When are we leaving? I'm bored," He complained in an exaggerated whine.

"Then leave. Do you see any archangels around?" Eloise pushed past him and, to her surprise, he didn't try to stop her.

"And if they do show up I suppose you and Moose will simply read them to death," He followed so closely behind her she was afraid he would trip her up.

"You're being ridiculous. There's no danger here. Just go back to...whatever it is you do," She waved her hand at him.

"But, dearest, I'd be lost without you," He grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. He wore the most pathetic pout and Eloise found she could do nothing but give him a bewildered look.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do I look like your mother?" She had never seen this side of him. This insolent childishness.

"No, love. You're prettier than she could ever hoped to have been," He pulled her a little closer and stroked her cheek, that sinister charm returning. Eloise groaned and turned away, continuing to the other end of the library where she had spotted more old books on her way back to their table.

"Wait, do you even have a mother?" Eloise asked, suddenly realizing she wasn't entirely sure where demons came from.

"Sure I did. I _was_ a man once," Eloise glanced back at him and hummed in acknowledgment. She was fascinated enough to continue the conversation.

"When did you become a demon?" She asked in a hushed voice as they came to a stop. There was a teenage girl nearby glancing over the pages of a book she'd just pulled from the shelf.

"Oh, about three hundred years ago now," He answered casually, rocking slightly on his heels.

"Three hundred years? Hm," Eloise did the math and though about what the world was like three hundred years ago. It must have been amazing watching the world progress for so long. But for how long had he been walking the Earth? When did he get a hall pass from Hell?

"So, your mother. What was she like?" He scoffed at the question.

"Really? All the things to ask a three hundred year old demon and you want to know what my mother was like," She looked at him expectantly, awaiting an answer. He stared at her for a moment before relenting with a huffy sigh.

"She was a witch. Once tried to sell me for three pigs," Eloise's lips twitched to the side, she couldn't help feeling a bit bad for him.

"And your father?" She asked, receiving a simple shrug in response.

"Poor Crowley," She said only slightly sarcastically. "I'm sorry," It was easy to see he'd had a miserable life as a human. It wasn't really his fault. Because of the cards he'd been dealt he must have turned into a horrible man, having ended up in Hell. She wondered what he'd have been like if given a real chance.

"I don't need your pity. I made peace with my past a long time ago," All smugness drained from his voice, which made his proclamation much less convincing. Eloise watched his back as he sauntered away. Whether he'd meant to or not he'd piqued her curiosity.

After a lot of reading and much pestering from Crowley, who had done nothing to make himself useful, they finally decided to leave. It was a pity they were going to turn up empty handed, but Eloise had a feeling whatever information they didn't already know wasn't going to be discovered in some tiny library. They were going to need to look somewhere more...reliable.

The second Eloise stepped out of the car they'd borrowed from Bobby, Dean was looking at her expectantly. She began making her way towards where he was working on the Impala, only to notice Crowley following her halfway.

"I need to talk to Dean alone," She informed him, stopping in the middle of the yard. "About you," She figured if she were as honest as possible he would be satisfied.


	10. Chapter 10

"Only good things I hope," He smiled sarcastically. "I'll see you inside then," Eloise nodded before continuing on her path to Dean, who was leaning against the Impala, his gaze fixed on her.

"Start talking," He demanded the second she was within earshot.

Eloise leaned next to him, close enough that their arms were touching. She wanted to lean her head on his shoulder. Feel a kind of comfort that was safe and familiar.

"I didn't mean for it to be this way. Obviously. I _did_ resist at first. But the more I did the worse the torture got. I could have stuck it out, but who knows how long he would have kept me like that. So, I played his game. He wanted me to break so I did and...it felt _so good_. We walk around with all this on our shoulders and we never get the chance to take it off,"

"What, so you get off on being Crowley's punching bag?" Eloise had to admit that was exactly what it sounded like.

"I don't _like_ it. Not the pain anyway. It just feels good to give in. To let myself be vulnerable instead of bottling up all these emotions," Her eyes felt bright and hopeful when she turned them to him. He could see her sincerity. Could tell she didn't feel like she was doing anything wrong. He was quiet for a minute.

"Okay, I guess I can see where you're coming from, but..." Of course there was a but. "I still don't get why you let him cuddle up to you like that," A look of disgust came over his face and Eloise smiled.

"He's just asserting himself. Last night he wanted everyone to know he owns me. I mean, I know the only thing holding me there was his arm, but...he's a demon and if I'd tried to get away he only would have made things worse. And the alcohol," She snorted. "Can you blame me?" Dean raised his eyebrows in understanding.

"What about this morning?" One last hurdle.

Eloise shrugged.

"Hell if I know. Maybe he likes to cuddle. And...I can't really help it, Dean. If Lucifer himself snuggled up to me I'd probably let him," Eloise knew she wasn't telling Dean anything he didn't already know. He'd been at the brunt of her cuddling addiction many times.

"Yeah, well that's comforting," Dean grumbled. She nudged him and, to her relief, he wrapped an arm around her, giving her a tight squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I really am. Disappointing you...it's worse than anything," Dean kissed her temple and rubbed her arm.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. We all have our moments," Eloise raised her eyebrows. This felt like a little more than a moment to her.

"Think you could talk to Bobby? He's still not...looking at me," The relief of having Dean back on her side dulled when Bobby came to mind. If there was anyone who wouldn't forgive her it was him.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do. Just try to keep a leash on Crowley," Dean patted her back and she pushed away from the car.

"Yeah, that's gonna happen." She said sarcastically. The two shot each other a tight smile before Eloise turned away, making her way back to the house.

The scene inside was almost funny. Castiel was in the living room, staring out the window, appearing to be intensely focused on something. Crowley was a short distance away at Bobby's desk, feet propped up as he tore pages out of a book, rolling the paper into small balls and throwing them at Castiel. Sam and Bobby were in the kitchen, eating sandwiches with their noses crammed into books.

Eloise crossed the living room quickly, snatching the book out of Crowley's hands. "Stop that," She hissed, examining the missing pages. She closed the book and turned it over to see the title.

"The Holy Bible? Are you serious?" She held the book up, cocking and eyebrow at him.

"As a heart attack, love," He gave her a look as if daring her to do something before he balled up another piece of paper and tossing it at Castiel. He smiled and pumped his fist when it bounced off the angel's head.


	11. Chapter 11

Eloise licked her lips and shook her head. All men were children. Even demons, apparently. She tossed the book back on the desk and walked to the kitchen to make herself some lunch. With a plate in one hand and a glass in the other she made herself comfortable at the end of the table, Sam and Bobby on either side of her.

"Any news on the apocalypse?" She asked.

"I can't find any sign of the horsemen in the news and we've read everything about them and the apocalypse that exists," Sam said, looking defeated. Eloise nodded in agreement. It really seemed like they were at a dead end, just waiting for something to rear it's ugly head.

"What is Cas doing?" Eloise asked after a few minutes. He was still looking out the window. Every once in a while he would lean forward and squint as if he were trying to see something far off in the distance.

"What's you _boyfriend_ doing?" Bobby spat back, bringing Eloise's gaze to him.

"He's not my...are all of you children? Like, literally all of you?" After receiving no response Eloise shook her head, held her hands up in surrender, and headed for her room. She could hear someone following her upstairs, but didn't question it. She had a feeling she knew who it was.

"Can I help you?" Eloise asked Crowley as she perched on the end of the bed.

"No," He responded nonchalantly. He crossed her room and sat in the chair by the desk.

"So," He started after short pause. "I told you about my parents. Why don't you tell me about yours?" Eloise raised an eyebrow.

"What are we besties now? You wanna whip up some hot chocolate and have some girl talk?" She knew better than to assume he just wanted to talk. Crowley never asked for anything without having some ulterior motive.

"Just tell me," He insisted.

Eloise sighed and pulled her legs up onto the bed.

"Funnily enough, my mother was a witch too. My father was a hunter. They got married, had me, mom lost it when I was eleven, John Winchester put her down, and dad died a few years ago the same way all hunters do," She shrugged, having accepted her unfortunate life a long time ago.

"See? We have so much in common," Crowley stood and peered down at his watch.

"We'll have to chat more later. I have matters to attend to," He offered one last smirk before vanishing altogether. With a sigh of relief, Eloise flopped backwards on her bed.

Eloise took a nap, helped Dean wash Baby, and by dinner Bobby would at least make non-lethal eye contact with her. No one mentioned her involvement with Crowley and with him not there it was almost like a typical evening. Before anyone went to bed they all settled down to watch Hellraiser, which Cas had a lot of questions about. Every time there was a 'hook in flesh' scene Eloise and Dean rolled their eyes at the production quality.

By the time Eloise went to bed she felt like everything was settling for the moment. The shit storm was calming and attention was shifting back to the end of the world. She curled into a ball, covers pulled up to her chin, and stared out the window. She had a perfect view of the moon and with the window slightly cracked she was able to feel the cool breeze filter in. Despite all her worries, she fell asleep quickly.

 _The moon was directly above her, full and bright. She had lost so much blood that she wasn't aware everything had very suddenly become silent and still. Instead of being overcome with pain, she felt nothing. She knew this was a bad thing, but couldn't find the energy to do anything about it. She couldn't even move her fingers, let alone call for help or get herself to a hospital._

 _"Quite the pickle you've gotten yourself in," A deep, gravely voice touched her ears. The base of it calmed her stuttering heart. A face appeared above hers, blocking her view of the moon. The man was handsome and clearly older than her. Despite the state she knew she was in, he wore an easy smile._


	12. Chapter 12

_"I could help you out. If you're interested," His smile widened as his eyes blazed red. Her heart suddenly picked up it's pace. She tried to speak, only to choke on her own blood._

 _"Hush, love," The man reached out and wiped away the blood that had bubbled from her lips. "Don't strain yourself," She tried to steady her breathing._

 _"Now, Eloise, I've been informed that you're a good friend of the Winchesters. I've heard they're quite a force to be reckoned with. They may be a problem for me in the future and how lucky it is that I've just stumbled across an insurance policy? How about I cut you a special deal, hm?" He paused, not that she could have said anything._

 _"I'll let you live for however long you manage to, hell, I'll even get you out of a pinch a time or two. I believe you'll be more useful to me alive than dead. All you have to do for me is wait in the background until I need you. How does that sound?" She knew it was stupid to make a deal with a crossroads demon. That very thing was what she was trying to stop. However, she wasn't like those people. This wasn't a con, this was a lifeline._

 _Somehow, she managed to nod her head ever so slightly._

 _"Lovely," He leaned closer to her face, his hand cupping her bloodied cheek. Her eyes fell shut as his lips wrapped perfectly around hers. Warmth filled her and she began regaining feeling. The demon pulled away just enough look into her eyes._

 _"One more thing," His hand slid over her bare shoulder and she was struck suddenly by a sharp burning sensation, like being stabbed with a heated knife. And then he was gone._

Eloise was awoken by the sharp pain in her shoulder. Her hand darted out to clutch it just as it stopped and her hand met another. Crowley was there, smirking in the dim lamp light. He held a finger to his lips, ordering her to keep quiet.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered and propped herself on her elbow. "What time is it?" Her eyes went to the window. The sky was still black.

"Just past midnight, I believe," He said while removing his suit jacket. Eloise stared, dread rising in her chest as he kicked off his shoes and loosened his tie.

"What are you doing?" She sat up the rest of the way.

"Making myself comfortable," He removed his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"How comfortable?" She was becoming incredibly suspicious of his lack of clothing.

"Relax. Don't you trust me?" Eloise shook her head in disbelief.

"What kind of question is that?" Luckily, under his sleek dress shirt was a cotton t-shirt. She wondered how he went like that all day without burning up. She remained quiet as he removed his belt, hoping this wasn't going down hill. To her relief he stopped there.

Crowley motioned for her to scoot over and she decided she would. She was too tired to argue. He lied next to her, propped against the headboard, one leg crossed over the other.

"Get comfortable, love. Don't be shy," He gestured for her to move closer to him. The bed was only a full size, meaning there was just barely enough room for the two of them as it was. There was no way to get around touching him, but she wasn't going to make things worse by cuddling him.

"No," Her words were muffled by the blanket and the fact that her back was to him.

"No?" He was scarily silent for a split second before his fist hit the wall above the bed. Eloise jumped and turned to him, realizing what it was he was trying to do.

"Fine, fine! Jesus," He smiled triumphantly and held his arms out for her.

"No, it's _Crowley_ ," He emphasized.

Defeated, Eloise scooted closer and settled herself stiffly against his body. He wrapped an arm around her, resting his hand on her hip. The other came up to smooth over her hair, where he planted a soft kiss. She could feel her face turning red and hoped he wasn't paying attention. His fingers swept up and down her arm and she was pretty certain she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep despite how tired she was.


	13. Chapter 13

Crowley produced a small book, holding it open with his free hand. Eloise shifted slightly to look up at it.

"Don't mind me," He said without taking his eyes from the pages.

"That's a little difficult," She grumbled. He looked down at her, an all too pleased smile pulling at his lips.

"I'm flattered, but let me assure you, if I intended to keep you up all night I'd have planned something more exciting," Eloise groaned and turned her face away from him.

Silence fell over the room and Eloise forced her eyes shut. There was no way not to think about him, not with him right there and the memory of their deal lingering. She settled in as best she could with as little contact as possible. Sleep was merciful that night.

A hollow bang roused Eloise. She ignored it at first, wrapping her body more tightly over whatever she was cuddling.

"What the hell is going on here?" Eloise's eyes snapped open and all the information hit her at once. What she was cuddled up to was Crowley. Despite her discomfort the previous night her unconscious self clearly took no issue. Her head was settled on his chest, her hand balled into a loose fist on his soft stomach. Her leg was thrown over his, having forced them apart at some point in the night.

"Hush, Dean. She was up all night," Crowley said in a not so silent whisper. Had his tone not been so suggestive she probably would have tried to explain things to Dean. Instead she lifted her head and met Crowley's gaze.

"Do you think you could stop fucking me please?" She asked venomously, seriously sick of him putting her in situations where she had to explain herself and no one would look her in the eyes.

The door slammed and Dean was gone without another word. Eloise sighed heavily and let her head fall onto Crowley's chest.

"I hate you," She groaned, closing her eyes.

"Love you too, darling," He patted her head before moving out from under her. She was disturbed by the discomfort, but glad to be rid of him. The sheets smelled like him. He himself might have been awful, but he had wonderful taste in cologne.

"Up and at 'em," Crowley ripped the blanket from Eloise, causing a rush of cold to consume her. She curled into a tight ball and groaned loudly. If there was anything she hated it was the cold. Hell, she hated the cold more than she hated Crowley.

"It's too early," Eloise complained.

"It's nine o'clock!"

"Let me sleep," She drew out the last word and reached for a pillow, but Crowley snatched that up too. The next thing his fingers found was her hair. They tightened and yanked back so she had no choice but to look at him.

"Are you going to get up or is daddy going to have to make you," He spoke every word slowly and deliberately. She figured his intention was to embarrass her and it worked.

"Get off me," She shoved at his chest and he released her. "And don't ever say that again. Disgusting," She felt like she needed to scrub her insides. Like just hearing the word used in that way could taint her. She'd never understood the appeal.

Eloise dragged herself out of bed and crossed the room, brushing her teeth and hair in a rush. Crowley had re-dressed himself by the time she was done. She left the room, Crowley trailing behind her as he'd apparently grown accustom to doing.

"Goodbye, everyone," Sam and Bobby looked up, startled at Crowley's voice as he and Eloise entered the lower level of the house. He started towards the door while Eloise broke off to go to the kitchen. She believed for a second that he was actually going to leave before making things worse.

"Oh," He peeked his head around the door frame. She was so close. He was mere seconds from leaving. "Love, you may want to change the sheets," He winked at her before leaving and slamming the door. She stood there in the center of the kitchen, all eyes on her.


	14. Chapter 14

"I..." Eloise cut herself off. She's been thinking it would be better if someone would just kill her, but remembered her soul belonged to Crowley. "There is no escape," She stared hopelessly into space for a while before turning back to her task and locating a clean glass.

"Elle-" Sam began.

"No," She cut him off before he could even go there.

"You better not have-" This time it was Bobby.

"No," She said louder.

"Jesus, don't you people have any faith in me? I am not fucking Crowley. And even if I were-God forbid-I wouldn't do it in your house!" She finished her drink, set the glass in the sink, and retreated back to her room. Whatever it was they wanted to think they were going to think it and she wasn't in the mood to talk them out of it.

Eloise got dressed, grabbed her purse, and made for the front door. Bobby asked where she was going, but she didn't stop long enough to offer an answer. She got into the car Bobby had let them borrow the day before and headed for town.

She parked the car and walked down the main strip of the town. Towards the opposite end was a cafe she'd become fond of quite some years ago. It was dimly lit and filled with well worn furniture and rich colors. When she reached the cafe a man held the door open for her and smiled. She thanked him, ignoring the sudden itch in her shoulder.

Eloise bought a muffin and a chocolate filled coffee before plopping down into a black leather arm chair in a quiet corner. It was nice to be out and it felt even better to be alone. It had been less than two days and already she felt suffocated. Typically visits to Bobby's with the boys wasn't so bad, but that was before she sold her soul and Crowley decided to make her life a living hell. It wasn't as if he wouldn't have plenty of time to do that later.

"Mind if I sit?" Eloise came back to reality to find the man from earlier leaning into her line of sight.

"Oh, no, sure. Go ahead," She smiled and he took the seat across from her.

She hadn't paid much attention to him before, but since he was there again she decided to take him in. He was tall, to begin with. Taller than Crowley. He had sandy blonde hair and there was something in the narrowing of his eyes and the twist of his smile that was mischievous. She was slightly on edge, but her curiosity outweighed her sense of trouble.

"So, come here often?" He shot her a crooked smile before taking a sip of his drink.

"No," Eloise shook her head. "Not anymore. It's been a while since I was in town," She told him, rubbing her shoulder as it jumped of it's own accord. The stranger's eyes locked on the movement for a second before returning his gaze to her eyes.

"Visiting family?" Even though she knew he was just being polite, Eloise wished he hadn't tried to start a conversation with her. She was craving silence, not idle chatter.

"Yeah, something like that. Just thought I'd get away for a while. They're a little suffocating," If Eloise had know this was the last time she would be at peace for what would feel like an eternity, she would have chosen her words differently.

"Well, I'd say so," The man leaned forward and set down his coffee on the small table separating them. "I can't imagine the Winchester's handling the knowledge that lil' sis sold her soul very well," He smiled broadly and all the heat drained from Eloise's body.

"Who are you?" She asked tensely. Suddenly afraid to move.

"Guess," He seemed to be having fun, which made Eloise think of Crowley, which made her think of demons in general, which led her to…

"No," The word came out as barely a whisper.

"Oh yes," He lunged across the table and grabbed her wrist before she had a chance to react. And just as suddenly, they were gone.


	15. Chapter 15

Wherever Lucifer had taken her it was freezing, probably more due to his presence than the weather. She found herself cowering on a disheveled bed in a dark, bare hotel room. Lucifer was standing a few feet away from her, her phone in his hand. While he scrolled through it she started looking for an escape. The door was obvious, but there was sure to be guards. From the look of the view out the window they were on the second or third floor. Jumping would only make matters worse. Even if there was a good escape route there was no way he would let her get away so easily. She was powerless.

"Hey, Sammy! How's it goin'?" Eloise's eyes snapped back to Lucifer, who was holding her phone to his ear. "I just wanted to let you know I've got your little princess here and I won't be letting her go until you come give me a hand with this whole vessel thing," There was a pause and a laugh.

"Hurt her? Come on, Sammy, have some faith. We're just gonna play a few games until you get here," The look in his eyes was like nothing she'd ever seen. She had seen hate and evil. She had looked into the face of countless monsters, human and otherwise, but never had she encountered such pure, elated blackness.

"Well, now I can't tell you that. It would ruin the fun!" He stepped closer to her as he spoke. She flinched as his cold fingers touched the skin of her shoulder, pushing her shirt aside to see the scar there.

"Besides, I don't think you'll have much trouble," He hung up the phone and tossed it carelessly aside.

"I've gotta say," His head tilted and he rubbed his thumb over the raised skin. "For being such a whining nuisance Crowley's really stepped up to the plate. But," He smiled and leaned closer to her face. "Considering he's a coward I'd say we've got plenty of time. So, what game to you want to play first?"

Sticking to the main roots of torture Eloise found herself strung up to the ceiling and stripped naked. Restraint and dehumanization always came first. She took deep breaths as he circled her, trying to convince herself she could withstand whatever he threw at her. Everyone knew he had her and Crowley could find out where she was in an instant. They were on their way. All she had to do was wait.

The torture was subtle at first. He poured cold water over her bare flesh, watching her shiver and taking pleasure in the almost angry shouts forcing their way from her throat. All her muscles clenched and spasmed in the agonizing cold. She had never been that cold. Not even close.

"What's next, huh? That was a little too easy. Maybe we should delve a little deeper into that mind of yours," His hand caressed her cheek and she could feel him probing her mind. She tried closing her eyes, pulling out of his grip, but it was impossible. All she could do was twitch and let him violate her thoughts.

"Ah, that's more like it," He patted her cheek. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly discovered she couldn't close them. As she realized what direction this was going in her heart began pounding even faster. There were few things Eloise had left in this world to fear, but she'd always felt unprompted horror at the thought of anything happening to her eyes.

Lucifer produced pins from thin air, taking pleasure in slowly inching one closer and closer to her eye only to pull it away at the last second.

"Please," The word tumbled past her lips before she could stop it. "Please don't," She knew as she was saying it that she shouldn't have. Almost immediately after she spoke the first pin was thrust into her eye. She howled in pain. As her eyes rolled she could see the sliver of metal swirling around with the movement. He hadn't blinded her, but she almost wished he had.

"I'm bored," Lucifer announced with a pout after using her as a pin cushion for what felt like all day. All the metal was removed from her body with the wave of his hand.

Eloise's eyes were closed. They stung and were so tearful she couldn't have seen a thing if she tried. She could hear his heavy footsteps slowly approaching.


End file.
